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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28009842">Honey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MAPMonstersArePerceptions/pseuds/MAPMonstersArePerceptions'>MAPMonstersArePerceptions</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Every Sweet Has Its Sour, Every Evil Its Good [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, House-elf centric, Kid Fic, Potter Manor (setting), Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:56:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28009842</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MAPMonstersArePerceptions/pseuds/MAPMonstersArePerceptions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life has its sweet and sour moments.  After a lifetime of sour, Harry has the opportunity to experience sweetness, thanks in part to a little elfling.  This is the story of her early years as told by her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Every Sweet Has Its Sour, Every Evil Its Good [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051541</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Honey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally, this was posted on ffnet for The Houses Competition</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Every sweet has its sour; every evil its good.”  Those words were spoken over me at my birth, the motto of the family I’d been born into.  It should’ve been celebratory, the birth rites for a newborn entering the house of Potter.  Instead, they were an afterthought as efforts were made to save my mama.  After all, if she passed, my death was a foregone conclusion.  Even if she lived, the odds of a preemie house-elf surviving in a manor that had lacked a wizard in its halls for twenty years were slim to none.</p><p> </p><p>My papa describes what happened next as a tidal wave on thirsty ground.  The new master, whose arrival the day before had actually caused my mama to go into labour, burst into the servants’ chambers, flooding it with more magic than had been felt in decades.  Rather than being angry at the lack of attention granted him, however, he sought to help.  In the end, Mama had entered a healing coma, Papa was only maintaining consciousness by sheer force of will, and I was snuffling on a pile of rags in the corner.  The master told my parents that all was well, and he wished for them to rest before swooping out of the room with me cradled in one of his large hands.  </p><p> </p><p>My papa no doubt feared the worst, even as the command to rest prevented him from attempting to intervene.  Instead, the wizard who carried me sought the assistance of outsiders to learn how to care for me until my mother could take on those responsibilities.  The house-elf, Winky, taught him to water down a mixture of honey and Anjou juice, and from a stopper, I received my first meal.  A sling was fashioned to hold me securely to his warm chest.   </p><p> </p><p>Mama stayed in her coma for over two weeks.  Papa, upon discovering that Winky was staying to help the master, sought permission to focus his energies on helping Mama.  At this point, he still believed me to be dead at the hands of an indifferent master.  </p><p> </p><p>It’s difficult for me to picture the world my parents grew up in, a world where even the best of masters were indifferent to the needs of their elves and a babe being picked up by a master could be a cause for mourning.  Instead, my master has always acted as a caregiver.  There are even photos of him sleeping sitting up with me in the sling rather than putting me down or risking injury to my person.</p><p> </p><p>It was while he fed me one evening that my ears unfurled.  On discovering that elves were traditionally named once their ears unfurled, my master named me Honey, like the main ingredient in my first meal.</p><p> </p><p>Even after Mama recovered and my parents took over, my master never held the distance that other wizards keep with their elves.  He has always cared about us and our comfort, asking that elvish foods be provided at meals as well as traditional wizarding cuisine.  Mama and Papa had a hard time getting used to a master who wanted to eat <em> with </em> his house-elves, but they got over it soon enough. </p><p> </p><p>One of the only ‘rules’ of my home has been that we should come to him if there’s a problem.  Before I could control my magic, it was not uncommon for me to pop to wherever my master was for a hug or a cuddle.  He even took to wearing the sling underneath his outer robe.  From the protection of my safe cocoon, I was able to meet his friends, Mr. Ron and Ms. Hermie.  They were almost as nice as… as Master!  </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Have I ever told you why I named you Honey, dear one?” he asked me one evening in early April.  </p><p> </p><p>“Because of the special juice you fed me, Master?” I asked.  </p><p> </p><p>He laughed gently, making me smile.  This time of year, Master often got maudlin.  “In part, I suppose that’s true.  But your name has a greater reason behind it.  Do you remember the Potter Family Motto?”</p><p> </p><p>I recited dutifully, “Every sweet has its sour; every evil its good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Before I came to live in Potter Manor, Honey, I had seen much evil and been dealt a bitter hand.  Coming here was meant to be my new beginning.  Caring for you put me on a path of healing that I never could have imagined possible.  You were, and still are, all that is good and sweet in this world, and I wished for you to have a name that reflected that.  Honey just happened to be the first name to come to mind that served that purpose.”  A lip curled up wryly.  </p><p> </p><p>“I wish I could spread the sweetness, Master,” I couldn’t help but say.  </p><p> </p><p>“What if, what if we could, Honey, a little bit at a time?” he asked, suddenly serious.</p><p> </p><p>“Master?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dobby, my first house-elf friend, died a few months before I came here; this month’s the anniversary, actually.” I crawled into Master’s lap, wanting to comfort him.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s been discovered that he had a family before he passed.  Most of them are long gone, but…” I was shown a picture of an elfling about my age.  He was cringing, and bruises were visible.<br/><br/></p><p>“This is his grandson, and he needs help.  What do you think about him joining our little family?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’d show him the sweet part of life?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d like to,” he answered.</p><p> </p><p>I nodded, determined to help.  </p><p> </p><p>Life might be both sweet and sour, but helping Master to spread the sweetness sounded like a great life to me.</p><hr/><p>
  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/161769596@N06/50705294933/in/dateposted-public/">Baby Honey Picture</a>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoy this newest series.  I hope to update my other WIPs before the end of the year.  Please read and review!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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